Jack has had a good week.

New things: we’re starting to give him milk at meal times to begin the transition off of formula and bottles. Jack is only getting milk in his sippy cup, which he’s doing well with. We’re also working on waving bye-bye and blowing kisses thanks to Ms. Paulette at school. Jack is also now able to stand up without pulling up on anything.. he’ll get on his hands, then poke his bootie up to get on his feet, and voila! Standing!

Here’s what my email said about babies Jack’s age:

Week 49 - Your New Baby

Is your baby showing a preference for using his or her right or left hand? Some children begin to use one hand more than the other at this age. Try playing games to help build hand-eye coordination, such as bowling with a large, foam ball and empty 2-liter plastic bottles; or basketball with a foam ball and a laundry basket. You can set up an obstacle course with medium-sized, open-ended cardboard boxes for your baby to crawl through and a small mountain of pillows to climb up. Housework may also be a game your baby enjoys. Picking up all the toys he has taken out and putting them away is a wonderful game that will definitely have you cheering. Be sure to always supervise your baby when playing.

Your baby may not seem very social with other children, but this is completely normal. If he seems to be a loner when you are in a play group and seems to be uninterested in what other kids are doing, then let him play by himself. He may not be ready to be social. Try not to push. However, if you notice your baby looking at other kids and it seems like he wants to get involved but might just be a bit shy, try taking him over to the other children and sitting with him while he plays with them. Be sure not to leave your baby until you are confident that he feels secure in the situation.

Has your baby stopped waving "bye-bye" or some other thing you thought he had mastered? Your baby hasn’t forgotten - he is just bored and has dropped it in favor of learning a new skill. ("Mom, waving "bye-bye" was SO last month!") Don’t worry about it and encourage your baby to learn new things. The old skills will probably resurface in a month or so. However, if he seems unable to do anything that he has learned in the past and is not learning anything new, notify your pediatrician.

Here’s a picture of Jack today: